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Autumn coastal walks and beaches in Aberdeenshire
The Aberdeenshire coast stretches for over 200 kilometres, from the Banffshire fishing villages of the north to the red sandstone cliffs of the Mearns in the south. In summer it draws visitors in their thousands. In autumn, it belongs to those who know.
The crowds thin, the light changes and the North Sea takes on a steelier, more dramatic character that makes the clifftop paths, hidden coves and empty beaches feel like a different place entirely. If you've only ever seen this coastline in summer, autumn offers a completely different way to experience it.
Hackley Bay, Forvie National Nature Reserve
Most visitors to Forvie head to Newburgh beach to see the seals. Far fewer make it to Hackley Bay - a sheltered, completely unspoilt cove tucked into the cliffs of the Forvie National Nature Reserve, accessible only on foot via the coastal heath. Between Collieston and Newburgh, Hackley Bay offers dramatic cliffs, golden sand and a sense of peaceful isolation that's perfect for a quiet escape
The colours are stunning, with purple blooming heather dotted with glistening crowberry, and the geese returning from Iceland can be heard overhead. Allow two to three hours for the circular walk from Collieston, which takes in cliff paths, ancient dunes and the haunting ruins of a church buried in the sand.
Image: Colin Dixon / Wikimedia Commons
Collieston to Old Slains Castle
The clifftop path north from the beautiful little harbour village of Collieston is one of the North-east's most rewarding and lesser-known coastal walks. The route threads through dramatic cliff formations and passes the atmospheric ruins of Old Slains Castle - not to be confused with the more famous New Slains Castle near Cruden Bay - before dropping back to the village. Moderate in difficulty, rich in history and almost entirely free of other walkers in autumn. Allow around two to three hours.
Image: Colin Dixon / Wikimedia Commons
Sandend Beach and Findlater Castle
On the Banffshire Coast, Sandend is one of those beaches that genuinely surprises people. Tucked into a sheltered bay between dramatic headlands, its beach is widely regarded as one of the finest on the Banffshire Coast - and in autumn, it is blissfully quiet. Follow the clifftop path east from the village and within a short walk the ruins of Findlater Castle come into view - a 14th-century fortress clinging to a sheer coastal promontory above the North Sea. One of the most dramatic ruins in Scotland, in one of its most dramatic settings.
Troup Head
Troup Head is one of the great wildlife spectacles of the North-east - and one of its most overlooked. This dramatic headland is home to Scotland's only mainland gannet colony, and in autumn the clifftop views across the Moray Firth are extraordinary. Gannets, kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills all nest on the high cliffs here. The walk out to the headland from Troup Head car park is straightforward and takes around an hour return - the reward is a clifftop panorama that stretches from the Bin of Cullen to Fraserburgh on a clear day.
Image: Jaiiiiiiii / Wikimedia Commons
Pennan
Further west along the coast, Pennan is one of the most remarkable villages in Scotland. A single row of whitewashed cottages squeezed between towering cliffs and the sea, it rose to fame as the filming location for Bill Forsyth's beloved 1983 film Local Hero - and the iconic red telephone box remains. Beyond its cinematic charm, the village is a peaceful retreat with a welcoming inn, a small coffee shack and an art gallery, and dolphins and grey seals are often spotted nearby. There's no big walk here - just the pleasure of finding somewhere that feels entirely apart from the modern world, particularly so on a quiet autumn afternoon.
St Cyrus
At the southern tip of the Aberdeenshire coastline, St Cyrus National Nature Reserve is one of Britain's most remarkable and most undervisited stretches of coast. Recently named one of the UK's best beaches by Condé Nast Traveller, it combines sweeping golden sands with towering volcanic cliffs - and in autumn it is absolutely at its most dramatic. Storms batter the coastline, sending white horses rolling in off the North Sea, migratory pink-footed geese arrive on the southern end of the reserve, and the haunting call of the curlew carries across the dunes. Allow around three hours and bring binoculars.
Browse our Coast pages for more on exploring the Aberdeenshire coastline, and our accommodation listings to find somewhere to base yourself along the way.
Found your own secret stretch of Aberdeenshire coast? Share it with us using #VisitABDN and #BeautifulABDN.
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